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Hymn for After Easter: When Thomas Heard From Jesus: When Thomas Heard From Jesus
Written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette   
Monday, 26 March 2012 15:29

When Thomas Heard From Jesus

AURELIA (“The Church's One Foundation”)

 

When Thomas heard from Jesus, “Now come and follow me,”

He surely went with gladness, for there was much to see.

He witnessed Jesus’ teaching and saw his healing touch;

He found a faith to guide him, a friend he loved so much.

 

When Jesus spoke of heaven, bold Thomas dared to say,

We don’t know where you’re going! How can we know the way?”

He wanted understanding of what he could not see.

Then Jesus reassured him, “The way is here—through me.”

 

When crowds began to murmur and leaders raised their cry,

Brave Thomas spoke out firmly, “Let’s go with him and die.”

He ate at Jesus’ table, partaking wine and bread;

Yet later with the others, he saw the cross and fled.

 

What joy on Easter evening when many saw the Lord!

Yet Thomas was not with them and would not trust their word.

When Christ appeared before him, his doubts were quickly gone;

He gladly knew that evening the joy of Easter dawn.

 

That man of faith saw Jesus at breakfast by the sea;

At Pentecost he witnessed so others would believe.

O Lord, may we—like Thomas—keep growing day by day;

Increase our faith and guide us, for Lord, you are the Way.

 

 

Biblical References: Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16;

John 11:11-16, 14:1-7; 20:19-29; 21:1-7; Acts 1:12-14

Tune: Samuel S. Wesley, 1864
Text: Copyright © 2012 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com

 

Comments  

 
#1 Dennis Maher 2012-03-26 11:37
Carolyn has written some really good hymns, but I have to object to the text of this hymn. Biblical scholars are more and more certain that the Gospel of John is a polemic against Thomas. John is the only gospel that proclaims Jesus as God, and therefore gives power derived from God to the leaders of the church. Both Thomas and John proclaimed Jesus as a teacher of wisdom and bringer of "light" or "logos," but while John said ONLY Jesus carried this light, Thomas said that the light is in all of us, but we do not know it without the teachings of Jesus. I doubt that Thomas was the ignorant rube that John portrays. Thomas surely doubted some of the teachings of John, which many of us do. Thomas just didn't need resurrection appearances to experience the joy of Jesus. (Elaine Pagels best describes the situation in "Beyond Belief.")
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